These Hard Times
by thisentireaccountembarrassesme
Summary: **Used to be "Human Trafficking"** Niou is an unlucky, fifteen year-old, victim of a human trafficking ring. To him, there's no way out. But somebody is determined to help. Rated M for reasons, guys. Read more inside. NOT a romance fic.
1. The Lucky Ones

**Hey there, guys! Here's my latest project. Don't worry, I'm still working on my other projects. Like the Burn Notice one and Side by Side or Miles Apart. I just needed a break from them.**

**Anyway. This one's all about a human trafficking ring. It's about a fifteen year old boy's struggles to survive it. So I hope you enjoy this. **

**Warnings: Very emotionally heavy. Mentions of rape, abuse, and torture. Rated M for a reason, guys. **

**I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of it's characters.**

There are different types of prostitutes.

There are the ones who do it just for the sex. Because sex is great and wonderful and _oh god, yes, please, more!_. And the money just ends up being a bonus to a great time.

Then there are the ones who do it for the money. Hey, they have a nice body, they can work it, and they know how to sell it. Prostitution doesn't pay too terribly badly and the sex is a nice side deal.

And then there are the other ones. The ones who don't need the money (What would they spend it on, anyway?) and who aren't doing it for the sex (Like they want to be touched that way). The ones who are _forced_ into it. The ones who don't get a choice. The ones who are thrown onto a street corner, picked up by some horny low-life, and then picked back up and taken home, where they have to give the money to their pimp.

Those are the sad ones. The sad cases. Where, eight times out of ten, the prostitutes are underage, malnourished, and mistreated.

The "lucky" prostitutes are the ones who do it on their own free will.

And Niou Masaharu envied those lucky ones

**And this is just the beginning, guys. If I get some reviews telling me that you'll keep reading, I'll do my very best to update every Thursday. :3 This is my first story where romance isn't the biggest aspect. XD So I hope I do good. **


	2. Used to It

**Hey guys! I hope you guys are enjoying this. Bring on the reviews! I love 'em. And I have my anonymous review on, so even if you don't have an account, drop a review. :D **

**I'll be updating next Thursday!**

He was used to it.

But that didn't mean he _liked_ it.

He was used to the harsh, ragged breathing that lingered in the musty room. He was used to his ankles being pushed above his head. He was used his back being pressed against the cheap, scratchy hotel sheets. He was used to the man moaning low in his ear, and he was used to closing his eyes and bearing with it. He was used to being pounded into the mattress like he was nothing but a toy. He was used to being treated like trash.

Maybe once, a long, long time ago, Niou Masaharu believed in God. Maybe once, he prayed at night and wished for things and hoped for the best. Maybe once, he believed in a higher deity. But after what happened... And after praying so damn hard, and hoping and trying his best to believe, and asking to just get out of this mess and to have a relatively _normal_ life again, and _nothing_ happening (If anything, it got worse), he stopped believing. He gave up all hope and eventually decided that God simply didn't exist. Or if he did exist, then he hated him.

He went with the former simply because he couldn't bear to think that somebody who was supposed to love everyone hated him. It was easier that way.

The man above him moaned low into his ear, and he refrained from shuttering. A few more thrusts and tense later, the man came inside him, grunting in a way that made Niou want to turn his head and throw up.

The man pulled out of him and got up, pulling on his clothes with fumbling fingers. Niou laid there, eyes clothes, trying his best to get rid of the disgusted feeling that was all over him. That _was_ him.

"You alive?"

"...Yes."

"Good." The man's voice was gruff and harsh. "'Cos I can't afford payin' for no dead hooker."

He was used to this, too. The sharp words and insults. Hooker, Slut, Skank, Whore... He'd been called worse, too. He knew prostitutes who became offended at these words, even though they were completely true. They didn't offend him, though. He didn't care. They were just words. And he'd felt things that hurt worse than words.

Once he heard the guy leave, Niou hauled himself off the bed and got dressed. He moved slowly, taking his time in pulling on his skin-tight jeans and his skanky tank top. He slipped into his shoes and pulled on his jacket, flipping his hair out from inside it. He took the money from the table (Yukimura would be happy with this payment) and slipped out the door.

He walked down the four flights of stairs, which were all terrifyingly close to rotting through. He slipped out the front door, ignoring the disgusted look the guy at the desk in the lobby gave him. He started down the street, towards the corner that he always stood on. Like every other filthy whore out there. Like the lucky ones.

"Trixxxie."

Niou stiffened. His spine straightened and his breath caught in his throat. The voice that called to him was sickly sweet. Laced with innocence and smiles. And it was all a lie, because underneath was a man who made his cronies beat people on an everyday bases and who didn't see anyone but himself as a human being.

He turned around and watched his 'master' step out from the shadows. He was smiling, like he always was, as if he wasn't a monster. "Trixxxie," he repeated, his smile widening at Niou's cringe. "I was hoping I'd catch you."

Trixxxie was Niou's whore name. The name that was given to him by Yukimura. They all had special names, simply because Yukimura didn't believe they deserved real names.

Yukimura stepped forward until he was directly in front of Niou. "You have a special customer tonight. He requested somebody he could tie up and smack around as he pleases. Someone who won't complain and who will do exactly as told. And, well... We all know you're very good at that, aren't you?" He reached out and touched Niou's cheek with the back of his hand. "Meet him in the hotel two blocks down. Room 324. It's unlocked." He patted Niou's cheek, causing him to wince, before getting into a car with tinted windows.

He found it strange that Yukimura was coming to him personally, instead of making one of his workers do it. It wasn't unusual, though. He just figured that the customer must have been paying a boat load for this. Yukimura only made an appearance when big bucks were to be made.

Niou didn't breath again until the car was out of sight. Yukimura scared the living shit out of him, even though it was always his enforcer, Sanada, who did the hitting. Yukimura was a bad omen.

With a sigh, Niou tousled his hair a little and walked up the street in the direction Yukimura had gestured. A special customer? He figured he was going to come out of this with another broken rib and a black eye. Yukimura was an ass. _All_ of his little slaves would put up with being tied up and smacked around because none of them had a _choice_. Yukimura was just a sadistic asshole who, in Niou's opinion, loved torturing him.

He stepped into the hotel and walked past the desk man. This one gave him a lustful look, that he tried his best to ignore. He walked up three flights of stairs (he was sick of these fucking stairs) and slipped into the room he'd been given. His eyes were immediately dragged to the man sitting on the bed. He was in a brown suit that was only a few shades darker than his hair. He wore wire-framed glasses and he was loosening his tie.

The man stood up and crossed the room, taking Niou by the wrist and pulling him over to the table. He leaned him over it, pinning his hands palms-down onto the wood. As the man bowed his head slightly, Niou stared down at the piles of papers and files on the desk. It all looked like a bunch of legal stuff. He almost thought that the man was a lawyer before he caught sight of something. On the top of the stack was an open file. On top of all the documents was a small, ripped piece of paper. The words scribbled on it read, _"Are there any cameras in the room? If not, shake your head. If so, clench your hands into fists."_

After hesitating a second, Niou shook his head slowly.

The man straightened up and moved to the other side of the table. He picked up a yellow legal pad and a pen and scribbled on it before holding it out for Niou to read.

_Are you wired?_

Again, he shook his head slowly as he straightened himself back up. He was confused. He didn't know what this guy was playing at, and he didn't know if Yukimura was in on it.

The man nodded and reached under the edge of his suit jacket. He pulled out a shiny gold badge and showed it to Niou. "I'm Detective Yagyuu Hiroshi. I'm here to help you."


	3. You Can't Help Me

**Hey guys! I'm so glad you guys are still reading this. :3 Here's the third chapter!**

Niou stared at him blankly for several long moments. The detective watched him carefully, scrutinizing him from behind his wire-framed glasses. Seconds, minutes passed before Niou turned around and headed towards the door. "I have to go."

"No, wait." Yagyuu grabbed his shoulder as he walked past. "Just listen. Please."

"No." Niou tried to slip away from Yagyuu's hand, but the detective simply tightened his grip. "Listen, I have to go, I'm going to get into trouble, and I'm not comfortable with this."

"But you're comfortable with letting guys touch you they way they do?"

Niou turned and glared. "Like you have any right to judge me. Now let me go so I can leave."

Yagyuu dropped his hand and shook his head. "How old are you."

Niou snorted. "Fuck you."

"You can't be any older than sixteen."

"I'm fifteen."

"I thought so." Yagyuu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Niou just noticed, with a little bit of shock, that the man look tired and worn, as if he hadn't slept in days.

He turned back around and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I can't tell you anything. He'll kill me."

"_Who_ will kill you?" Yagyuu sat down beside him on the bed. "I need to know. I can stop him and make sure he never touches you again."

"You don't understand." Niou laughed humorlessly. "He has connections. I'm sure he has a guy on the inside. He'll slaughter me. And then he'll cover his tracks. He's scary. Very scary. And there's nothing you can do to protect me."

"I _can._" Yagyuu stressed the last word. "Please, just talk to me."

Niou looked away, towards the drawn curtains.

"At least tell me your name."

"Trixxxie."

"I meant your real name."

"I...I can't."

The air blasted on and Niou shivered. He looked up with wide eyes when he felt a jacket being draped over his shoulders. Yagyuu stood and rolled up his sleeves. "Let me order you something to eat. When was the last time you had food?"

"I don't know. He always says that nobody wants a fat whore."

Yagyuu watched him carefully, a frown creasing his forehead. "You think you're fat?"

"Hell no. But to Him, fat is anything that's even close to a normal weight."

Niou watched the detective pull out his cell phone and flip it open. "What do you want, then? You look like you could use something to eat."

Niou shook his head quickly, eyes wide. "No! He'll know if I've eaten. And when he finds out, he'll beat me. Hard."

Yagyuu flipped the phone shut slowly and sat down in a wooden chair, equally as slowly. "How often do you get hit?"

"Iunno." Niou shrugged and looked toward the drawn curtains again. "Often? Whenever we do something we're not supposed to do. Or when we don't get paid enough."

"How often do _you_ get hit, specifically?"

Niou sighed and shrugged. "Just about as often as everyone else. Less than some because I've learned to keep my mouth shut, unlike some of them."

Yagyuu looked hesitant for a second. "Can... Can I see where he's hit you?"

Niou frowned, but he stood up, pushing Yagyuu's jacket off of him and shrugging off his own jacket. He pulled his shirt off over his head and spread his arms out to the side. He grimaced when Yagyuu obviously suppressed his gasp. He had a reason to, though. There were marks on his wrists from being tied up and scars and slashes all across Niou's chest and arms. There were some on his back, too, which Yagyuu saw once he turned around.

"Bullwhip." Niou said simply, pulling his shirt and jacket back on. He pulled Yagyuu's coat around him as well, still cold. "And you think this is bad? You should see some of the others. I generally stay quiet. Others retaliate."

Yagyuu sat down on the bed beside him and sighed. "Listen to me. I can help you. I can get you away from that place, and I can save you. You won't ever get hurt by that man again. I promise. Please, just give me names, addresses, something."

Niou shook his head sharply and stood up, letting Yagyuu's jacket fall off of his shoulders. "Your promises mean nothing to me. I have to go. I have other customers I have to get to." He turned to leave, and then paused. "You do realize that if I don't get any money from you, I'll be beaten until I can't stand, right?"

Yagyuu's sigh was tired and heavy. "I paid in advance."

"Of course you did." Niou's hand was on the doorknob when Yagyuu spoke up again.

"This isn't the last time you're going to see me. I swear to god, I'm going to get you out. I _am_ going to save you."

Niou chuckled lowly. "Please don't be offended when I say that I'm not going to take your word for it." Then he let the door swing shut behind him.

**Stay tuned for next Thursday. :3 **


	4. Tight Knit

**Here's the forth chapter guys! Hope you enjoy**

**I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.**

Niou was shoved roughly into the cold, dank room. He turned around and watched the door swing shut. Yukimura had seemed happy with the money he'd earned that night, and then he backhanded him for arriving at the corner he was to be picked up at late. He rubbed his cheek and turned around. The rest of the guys, none of which were older than seventeen, were gathered around somebody. Panic surged through his body as he strode forward. "What happened?"

Kikumaru Eiji, wide eyed, looked up. "Syusuke retaliated again." His voice was stressed sounding. "Sanada whipped him until he passed out."

"All under Yukimura's command, of course." Niou spat.

They all had their whore names, but they never addressed each other as such. They were tight-knit, and they always called each other by their given names. They decided it made them feel somewhat better, with the situation they were in. It reminded them that they had an identity.

"He's bleeding really bad, Masaharu." The voice belonged to one Mukahi Gakuto. He was very popular among their range of customers because of the way he was able to bend. The boy was a snotty little brat when he first arrived, but that all quickly changed. "We need to stop it."

"Yeah, yeah." Niou crossed the room and picked up a dirty, bloody towel. He tossed it to Gakuto, who started pressing it against Fuji's wounds. Niou slid into the group and knelt down beside Fuji's unconscious body. He moved the boy's head into his lap and smoothed back some of that gorgeous, honey brown hair. "Oh, Syusuke..." He whispered, looking pained. "How'd you get yourself into this mess?"

"I think the bleeding's stopped..." Gakuto mumbled, handing the towel off to Zaizen Hikaru.

It was a few hours later when Fuji stirred. His head was still in Niou's lap, and the rest of the boys were sitting around talking. That's how they passed the time. It was the _only_ way to pass the time.

Fuji groaned and opened his eyes slowly. Niou was still smoothing his hair back, looking down at him in concern. "Syusuke?"

"Fuck me." He mumbled, forcing himself to sit up. He looked down at the cuts on his stomach and sighed. "Fuck."

Gakuto brought over an old bottle of water that they had been given a few days prior. Fuji took a small sip of it and leaned back against the cold stone wall. "You made it back safely, Masaharu."

"That's really not important." Niou replied softly. "How're you holding up?"

"I hurt like hell, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, and I spent the night being a sex toy to several guys. So, yeah, I'm peachy."

Well, at least he had his old snap back. He ran a hand through his hair and breathed shallowly. "At least injuries like these will prevent me from having to work for the next few days."

"True, true." Fuji Yuuta said from the other side of Niou.

Fuji always looked rather pained when he saw Yuuta now. It killed him to know that his brother, a whole two years younger than his own fifteen years, was wrapped up into this whole thing. Every day, he blamed himself for not saving Yuuta. Instead, he got them both caught. He supposed the only thing he could be grateful for was that Yuuta wasn't there alone.

In times like this, times of major distress and need, they usually turned to Niou. Out of the six of them, he'd been there the longest. Not out of _everyone_ everyone. There were several people there before him that got resold or killed off. But out of the six of them, out of their tight-knit, dysfunctional, fucked up family, he was the one holding them together.

**Niou's gota a lot on his shoulders, huh? Poor baby. Stay tuned! And keep those reviews coming!**

**Also, I'm aware that Yuuta is actually only a year younger than Fuji, but I twisted things to make me happy. XD**


	5. Chasity and Lust

**Sorry I didn't update last week, guys! I wasn't on my own computer, so I couldn't. But I'm back on track now, so expect regular updates again. ^^; **

**I don't own Prince of Tennis.**

Niou let out a loud moan and arched his back. The man under him murmured something back in response and gripped his hips tighter, helping him move up and down.

He found out recently that if he pretended to like it, he got paid more. If he moaned and groaned, and whimpered in all the right places, it'd make Yukimura happier. And a happy Yukimura meant a generally unharmed Niou. He didn't enjoy it, though. The feeling still made him want to scrub himself raw. It made him want to catch himself on fire. Anything, _anything_, to get the nasty feel of another guy off of him. He hated it. He detested it.

Half an hour later, he was stepping out of the hotel, pocketing the generous amount of money. He went to go stand on the street corner so another guy would find him. He only had two hours left before he was to be picked up by one of Yukimura's cronies and be taken back to the basement. If he was lucky, he'd be able to haul in another three rounds.

But as he passed an alleyway, a figure stepped out of the shadows. His heart stopped and his blood ran cold.

It was Yukimura, smiling in satisfaction at the look of terror on Niou's face.

"Trixxxie." He greeted warmly. "I found you. Good. Do you remember that one customer you had? The lawyer? He's ready for another go. Same place. Same room. Paid in advance. Please make his money worth it. If you don't... Well. You know what'll happen, don't you?"

Before Niou managed to find his voice, Yukimura was sliding into the back of a car. It'd been two weeks since he'd seen that detective. The one masquerade as a lawyer. He'd almost pushed the thought of the guy out of his mind until now.

Detective Yagyuu had kept his word. That _wasn't_ the last time he would have seen him.

Niou stepped into the hotel room. This time, it was nice and toasty, as opposed to the icy cold it had been the first time. He caught sight of the detective immediately. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking up from a file in his hands. His smile was warm and welcoming. "I told you so."

"That you did." Niou replied, shrugging out of his jacket. Yagyuu didn't look at all surprised at the halter top he was wearing, one that cut off just above his belly button and made of thin leather. Maybe he had expected it. But that didn't matter. Niou had questions. And he wanted them answered.

But before he could even before he could open his mouth to ask the first one, Yagyuu spoke. "Here." He handed him a glass of water. "You're dehydrated, right? When was the last time you had something to drink?"

Niou licked his lips and took timid sips of the water. It was ice cold and it felt good running down his throat. "Um... A couple days ago, I think. Whenever we're given water, I usually take as little as possible and give it to the others." He sat down in an armchair and drank some more of the water.

"How many of you are there?" Yagyuu set the file aside and folded his hands in his lap.

Niou hesitated, but only for a moment. "Six, including me. But that's only in the room I'm in. I know there's tons more. Boys _and_ girls." He looked down at the glass of water, then sat it on the table and pushed it away quickly. "This isn't fair."

Yagyuu blinked. "Nothing you're going through is fai-"

"No, I mean this." He gestured to the room and himself. "While I'm sitting here with you, chatting away and drinking fresh water, the others are out there, standing around on street corners and being fucked so hard it _hurts_. While I'm able to relax in this nice warm room, they're being brutalized. It's not fair! It's not fair to them!" He stood up and made for the door.

"Wait!" Yagyuu manage to grab his shoulder. "Listen to me." He turned him around and looked straight into his eyes. "I know it's not fair. None of this is even close to fair. But if you talk to me, if you tell me who's doing this to you, if you tell me these things, then I can get you out, and I can get _them_ out, too. I can save you. I can save all of you. I can get you out of this hell of a life. I can get you back to your families. You just have to talk to me. Please."

Niou stared at him, close to tears. He realized that they had the same colored eyes. An amber-gold color. Yagyuu's were bright and shining with emotion. Niou was sure his were dull and lifeless. He took a deep breath and dropped his gaze. "What do you want me to tell you?"

Yagyuu sighed, a sound of relief, and went to sit on the bed again. "Anything," he replied quietly. "Your name, his name, where you're taken every night. _Their _names, even. The procedures, how many people are running this operation. Anything, absolutely anything will help. Even if it isn't specific information."

Niou sat back down in the chair and wrung out his hands. "In the room I'm in, there's six of us. I've been there the longest. They... They all sort of look up to me. We don't get fed often, and we don't get anything to drink often. When we do, I generally take very little and give the rest to the others." He sighed and leaned back, stretching out his legs so that his high-healed boots stuck out. "Yesterday, Syu-" He cut himself short and frowned. "Lust retaliated. One of the workers... _His_ enforcer beat Lust until he passed out. He can't work for the next week due to injuries. Which, you know, just pisses Him off more." He wasn't going to reveal Yukimura's real name yet. He wasn't sure how much he could trust the detective. "Lust has a younger brother. Chastity."

"Lust and Chastity..." Yagyuu murmured. "Ironic."

"Chastity is the youngest of us all. He's only thirteen. Lust is the oldest." Niou went on for a few minutes later, talking about the ages of the rest of them. He never mentioned real names, although he almost slipped up a few times. Yagyuu looked hopeful every single time, but Niou ignored it.

"Listen," Yagyuu said softly. "If you tell me your real names, I'll be one step closer to getting you out of there. I can take you back to your families and-"

"My family," Niou lashed out angrily, "doesn't want me. My mother sold me to this guy for a reason. She didn't want me, she just wanted more money. She doesn't care if I live or die. I'm just a con-gone-wrong for her. The guy who's money she was trying to get found out about her little scheme and got her pregnant. My father doesn't know who I am, nor does he want to. My mother wishes she'd gotten an abortion. The only place left for me if I ever get out of here is foster care." He stood up and pulled on his jacket. "I can't spend all night here. If I don't rake in some good money, I'll get hit." He went to the door and threw it open. "But... thank you." Then he let the door fall shut behind him.

**Niou's getting there. He's working on it. Hope you enjoyed. Please review!**


	6. Too Close!

**I know I'm late again, guys. ^^; I'm sorry. I'll try to stay on track. Please enjoy this next chapter! **

**I don't own Prince of Tennis.**

Every Saturday for the past month, Niou had spent half an hour in that hotel room with the detective. It was a nice change, compared to the rest of the week. He still hadn't uttered his real name, or the others real names. He hadn't said anything about locations, and he felt kind of bad about it. Yagyuu was wasting his time with him while he could be doing something more productive. But the detective was patient. Not to mention kind. He finally convinced Niou to eat something. And when Yukimura didn't notice, Niou kept it up.

"This one." Yagyuu pointed to a particularly ragged scar on his stomach.

Niou traced his finger over it. "Got it when I was pushed through a plate glass window."

"By...?"

He looked up and grinned. "Nice try."

Yagyuu smiled softly and touched a scar on Niou's chest. "And what about this one?"

"Just another mark from being beaten with a bull whip."

Yagyuu leaned back against the pillows and Niou pulled his shirt back down to cover his torso. It wasn't long before Niou spoke up again.

"Hey, Detective Yagyuu?"

"Hm?"

"Am..." Niou's brow creased. "Am I gay?"

Yagyuu choked a little on the water he was sipping on. After clearing his throat he looked at the younger boy. "What do you mean?"

"Well... All I've ever known is sleeping with guys. And although I certainly don't enjoy it, it's not because I'm sleeping with _guys_. It's because I'm sleeping with guys I don't want to sleep with." He looked down at his hands in his lap and leaned against the pillows beside Yagyuu. "I don't know what that means."

Yagyuu was silent for a moment. "Does it matter?"

Niou's eyes snapped up. "What?"

"Does it matter if you're gay or not? It's not something you can control. It's just a part of who you are. So what if you like guys instead of girls? Who's business is it?" He smiled gently. "Be who you want to be." After a pause, he added, "and if it makes you feel any better... I'm gay."

Niou smiled and leaned his head against Yagyuu's shoulder. Yagyuu reached up and stroked the younger boy's hair. His captain had warned him about this. About getting too close. Too attached. But what was he supposed to do? This boy _needed_ him. He wasn't going to shove him away when he needed a little bit of comfort. He wasn't going to give the boy a cold shoulder. There was no way in Hell that he was going to make this boy feel any more unloved than he already did.

After a moment of just sitting there like that, quiet and content as they were, Niou straightened up and stretched. "I should probably be going. I haven't made enough yet to keep Him happy."

Yagyuu reached up and tucked a lock of bleached hair behind Niou's hair. "Be careful."

Niou blinked, then smiled and nodded. "Always am." He shrugged on his jacket and walked to the door. He pulled it open and, without turning around, said, "My name... Niou Masaharu." Then the door clicked shut behind him.

"Run it again." Yagyuu snapped.

The annalist glared up at him. "I've ran it _six times_. Running it a seventh isn't going to magically make more records pop up. This is what we've got. From the age of twelve to the age of fourteen, he's been arrested three times. He made bad grades in school except for math, in which he always made an A. All the records stop right around the age of fourteen. Then there's nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Ce-"

"I get it." Yagyuu said in between gritted teeth. "I fucking get it." He straightened up and stalked away, muttering softly under his breath.

Niou Masaharu _did_ exist, though. And Yagyuu was going to pay a visit to his mother.

..._After_ he got some coffee.

**Finally, Niou gave Yagyuu a bit of information. Please review!**


	7. You Have the Right to Shut the Hell Up

**Hello guys~ Thank you so much for all your reviews. XD And I'm totally on time this week. Be proud of me. XD I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Because I had tons of fun with it. **

**Please read, review, and enjoy!**

The door was thrown open by a pretty woman with black hair and pursed lips. She was wearing a cocktail dress, and had a clutch in her hand. She looked as if she was ready for a night out on the town, and Yagyuu couldn't help but to feel disgusted by it. She blinked and smiled charmingly for him. "May I help you?"

"Are you Niou Emi?" Yagyuu asked, flashing his badge. "I'm Detective Yagyuu Hiroshi. I want to ask you a few questions." _And rip your head off and feed it to some wild boars._

Emi glanced behind her and bit her lip. "I'm running a bit late for my date." She admitted sheepishly. "Can this wait until tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid not." Yagyuu replied calmly. "You can either come with me to the station willingly and answer my questions, or I can escort you there. In handcuffs."

All casualties were dropped. Her smile faded and her eyes narrowed. She took a step farther back into the house and placed a hand on her narrow hip. "What's this about?"

"This is about you selling your son to a human trafficking ring about a year and a half ago."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She moved to shut the door, but Yagyuu caught it with his hand.

"Please step outside."

Emi scowled. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Detective. No-"

"_Please_ step outside, and _give me my wallet back_."

Emi blinked, looking taken aback. With a sigh, she slapped the leather wallet into Yagyuu's hand and stepped out onto the doormat. "Can't we do this later?"

Yagyuu took her wrist and cuffed her hands behind her back. "No. You have the right to shut the hell up. You say anything, and I'm sure as hell going to use it when your ass is up on the stand. You have to right to find someone who can lie better than you can. If you cannot afford one, which I'm sure you can, considering you sold your son, we'll find a shitty liar for you."

Yagyuu pressed his palms against the table and stretched his fingers out as far as they would go. He stood there quietly for a moment before looking up at the lady in front of him. Emi raised an eyebrow in question. Yagyuu pulled out the chair and sat down.

"Why?"

Emi rolled her eyes. "Why _what_?"

"Why," Yagyuu said patiently, "did you sell your son to a human trafficking ring?"

"I _told_ you," Emi gritted out angrily, "That I only have _one_ son. Takeru."

"And I'm telling you," Yagyuu threw an open file onto the desk. It had Niou's picture and several records. "You better start fucking talking and stop _fucking_ lying to me."

Emi gazed at the file for a moment. Her eyes widened by a faction as she pulled out the picture of the white-haired boy. He eyes were filled with tears when she looked back up. "Listen," She whispered, "I was told that he was going to do some farm work. Earn some extra money. I would never, _ever_ sell my son. I love him."

"Lady, it wasn't five minutes ago that you were telling me you only had _one_ son. I said to stop fucking lying to me. I meant it." Yagyuu pointed to the file. "It says that all his records have stopped after he turned fourteen. What's that about?"

Emi stared at him a moment before sobering up and scowling. "Fine, alright. I was under the impression that once I got the little brat off my hands, his files would've been erased from the system. She said that it'd be like he was never born." She dropped the picture in disgust. "I knew I should've gotten that abortion."

Yagyuu looked taken aback and ignored her last comment. "She?"

"Yeah." Emi waved her hand airily. "Some dark skinned girl."

"Did you get her name?"

"No."

"If I set you up with a sketch artist, could you describe her."

"Guess I'm going to jail either way, huh?"

"No way in hell that you're not."

Emi sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, okay. Sure. I can describe her."

Yagyuu stood up and headed towards the door.

"Wait, Detective?"

Yagyuu paused, but didn't turn around.

"Have... Um... Did you... Have you seen my son? Have you seen Masaharu?"

"Every Saturday for the past month and a half." He looked over his shoulder at the woman. The woman who sold her only son to someone who beat him every single night. "He's been forced into prostitution for the past year and a half. He's nearly skin and bones and he doesn't get fed nearly often enough. He gets beaten repeatedly, whether it's because he doesn't earn enough money or because he's done one little thing wrong. He believes that he's worthless and that nobody loves him. He doesn't think his life is worth living. He believes that, even if he does get out of this mess that his own mother shoved him into, than he'll just have years of foster care to look forward to. He still doesn't trust me, he doesn't trust anybody, and I just got his real name out of him yesterday. He's got a long way to go before he's even began to recover, and he's always going to have those physical and emotional scars weighing him down. I hope you're happy with yourself, because everything this boy has gone through is your fault." He left the room, leaving Emi wide-eyed and shocked.

**Niou's mother is a bitch, and Yagyuu's awesome. XD **


	8. Promises, Oh Promises

**Chapter eight, guys! I'm on time again this week! :D I hope you enjoy this! Please review!**

**I don't own Prince of Tennis.**

"You're a filthy little whore... _Trixxxie._"

Niou lowered his head. He hated nights like this. Every so often, he'd have a particularly nasty costumer. One who liked to tie him up and cut him. Who liked to go for more than one round. One of those sadists who just wanted somebody he could torture. Someone he could beat and tie up without any percussions. He hated those ones. Nights like those only ended up getting worse and worse. The only upside was that after this guy was done with him, he'd be going straight to that hotel to see Yagyuu. It was Saturday. He liked Saturdays.

He cried out when the guy gave him another shallow cut across the chest. Then he whimpered, because he could feel blood trickling down his arms from the ropes digging into his wrists. By the time the guy got into the shower and Niou had started trying to get the ropes undone, he had seventeen extra cuts, and he was about ready to just give up. But he took a deep breath and managed to cut his way through the ropes, slicing up his wrist in the process. He left the pocket knife where he'd found it, in the guy's jeans next to the bed, then took every single dollar bill from the guy's wallet. "Asshole." He muttered once he had his coat wrapped around him, then he slipped out of the room with one last withering look at the blood-stained bed.

Only fifteen minutes later, he stepped into the room where he knew Yagyuu was waiting. And, sure enough, the detective looked up at him from the edge of the bed. His smile was timid at first, then it faded to a worried frowned. "What's wrong? You look shaken."

Niou swallowed and shook his head. "I just had a rough night."

Yagyuu tilted his head. Niou closed his eyes and let his jacket fall to the floor. He heard Yagyuu's sharp intake of breath, and when he opened his eyes again, the detective was in front of him. Yagyuu led him over to the bed and sat him down. He disappeared into the bathroom for a few short moments before coming back with a warm, wet cloth. He took off his shirt when he was asked to, and laid back on the bed so that Yagyuu could clean him up. It stung a little, but it was mostly soothing.

"In other news," Yagyuu said softly as he worked on the cuts that were just at the waistband of Niou's pants, "I arrested your mother last week."

Niou sat straight up, only to be pushed gently back down so that the totally nonchalant Yagyuu could continue wiping up blood. "You _what_?"

"I arrested your mother." Yagyuu repeated calmly, as if he were talking about the whether. "She's a real piece of work. It took me all my patience not to hit her in the face. She's lucky I value my job. And that I have a thing against hitting women."

Niou let out a slow breath as the warm rag moved up to his ribs, which jutted out underneath his skin. "...How's she doing?"

"She's in prison." Yagyuu said blankly. "For a long time."

Niou bit his lip and stared at the plain white ceiling. "I never actually thought she'd be arrested..."

"Niou-kun." Yagyuu whispered, "if you tell me who's controlling you, then I can arrest him, too. Please."

Niou shook his head. "I can't."

Yagyuu nodded, wondering how far his patience could possibly stretch for this boy (his guess was pretty damn far. The boy had won his heart over, platonically speaking) and finished cleaning him up.

"There's something I want to show you." Yagyuu said as Niou sat up and pulled his shirt back on. "Do you recognize her?" He held out a sketched photo, watching as Niou's face registered in shock.

"Yeah... Yeah, that's the lady that picked me up from my mom's, then took me to a warehouse. Then I was blind-folded and taken to a number of other places before eventually arriving at the basement place." Niou took the sketch from him and blinked. "But she certainly was the one who drove me all those places. I remember her singing along to the radio. She was terrible..."

Yagyuu nodded and sat down. "Do you know her name?"

Niou snorted. "I fucking wish."

"Alright, well, we're running this sketch through facial recognition software. We'll see what we get."

Niou wrapped his jacket around him and pulled his knees up to his chest, ignoring the little tugs and stabs of pain that shot through him every time he moved. After a moment of just listening to Yagyuu scribble something in a notebook, he looked up, a new found determination sparkling in his eyes. "I'll give you the names of the others. Maybe you'll have better luck with them than you did with me."

Yagyuu looked up, surprise masking his features. "The other boys' names?"

Niou nodded. "Yeah. The other five." He rambled off the names and watched Yagyuu right them down. "I hope that helps." He stood up and walked towards the door. "I have to go now. I'll see you next week?"

"Of course."

"...Promise?"

"Yes, Niou-kun. I promise."

**Poor Niou. :/ Please review! I love, love, love hearing from you guys!**


	9. Deceiving

**Chapter nine~. NOT on time, because is being a jerk and not letting us upload things. :| But it _would_ have been on time. Guess what? We passed the fifty review mark last week! 8D This makes me super excited. I'm aiming for my next goal, seventy-five reviews. Please please please make this possible, guys. :D Please read, review, and enjoy!**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis.**

Niou realized, guilt swimming through his mind as he pulled his shirt off over his head, that he hadn't told the others about Yagyuu. They shared everything. They told each other _everything_. And there he was, keeping a _huge_ secret from them.

"Looks like you had a rough night."

Niou looked up at Sanada as he shrugged on a loose shirt. He had to change out of his whore clothes before he could go down to the basement. Yukimura was always big on customer service. He always tried to make them look as appealing as possible.

"I had a rough customer." Niou replied quietly, peeling off the tight jeans. He pulled on a different pair of pants.

Sanada took his hand and led him over to a chair. He sat him down and started doctoring his wounds, putting medicine on them and bandaging them up, just like he'd done for Fuji the day after he beat him. When Sanada wasn't being ordered about by Yukimura, he was actually tolerateable. He was just a kind heart who got wrapped up in some terrible things. Niou still blamed him, of course. Sanada could get out. Sanada could stop. Sanada had a choice. But he didn't want to stop following his childhood friend, even if his childhood friend was a psycho maniac who didn't care about anyone but himself.

Sanada's fingers were gentle on his chest and stomach as they wrapped bandages around him. But they weren't anything like the gentle fingers of Yagyuu.

"It looks like these wounds are already taken care of." Sanada murmured with a frown.

Panic shot through Niou's body, but he made himself look calm. "I took care of them myself while the guy was in the shower."

"Even the ones on your back?"

"It's called a mirror."

"Listen," Sanada paused and glanced around the large walk-in closet, as if making sure there was nobody around who could over hear. "Listen," he repeated. "I know."

Niou raised an eyebrow, although his blood had already ran cold. "You know what?"

"I know you've been meeting somebody and not getting paid for it. I know he's been giving you food and water, and I know he's been taking care of you. I know you've been feeding him information. I know he's a detective."

Niou's eyes widened a little bit more with every word. Great. Just great. He was dead. They were going to kill him, then there was no way that the others would be able to get out. But it wasn't so bad, in a way. Yagyuu had plenty of information, maybe even enough to find them. And if Niou was dead, he wouldn't have to go through all that pain anymore. All the suffering would be gone. He wouldn't be a boy toy to half the guys in the city. And, yeah, he'd be leaving the rest of them alone, but they'd have Fuji. Fuji would be able to take care of them.

"Trixxxie."

Niou snapped himself out of this thoughts and returned his gaze to Sanada.

"I'm not going to tell him."

Niou blinked. He looked at the wall, frowned, then looked back at Sanada. "What?"

"I'm not going to tell Yukimura about it. I..." Sanada looked around again. "I want to help you."

Niou jerked his wrists that Sanada had been bandaging away. "Why? Why would you want to help me? I'm just a no-good whore. I'm worthless. Why would you want to go behind your best friend's back to help somebody like me? To help people like us?"

"Because although Seiichi _is_ my best friend, and has been for a long, long time, what he's doing is wrong. I wasn't raised like that. Albeit, he wasn't raised like that, either. He used to be a good kid. Believe it or not, he used to be sweet and caring. He was kind to anybody who crossed his path. But then, with some wicked turn of events, he was gang-raped, and it led him to believe that nobody, not even me, was worth his time. He needs a good slap in the face. He needs to wake up. I honestly think he needs to be put through what you guys are going through. And I think jail might be the only answer. He needs to wake up and see reality."

Niou sneered a little. "Forgive me if I don't have any sympathy for the bastard. I've been gang-raped before, several times in fact, and you don't see _me_ prancing around like I own the fucking place."

"I don't expect you to have pity on him." Sanada pulled Niou's wrists back to finish bandaging them. "Like I said, I want to stop him. So let me help you."

Niou watched him for a moment with scrutinizing eyes. "I'm not going to tell you anything." He eventually said. "I don't trust you."

"I don't expect you to." Sanada replied easily. "Just know that I'm here if you ever need me." He rested his hand on Niou's shoulder and steered him out of the room. They walked down a long hallway and towards a staircase. But before the could get there, Yukimura stepped out of a room. Sanada quickly slid his hand up Niou's shoulder and to the back of his neck. He squeezed it tightly. Niou swallowed at Yukimura's bright face.

"Genichirou!" He greeted easily. "Taking Trixxxie back to the basement?"

Sanada nodded. "Yes. He probably won't be able to work for the next few days. His last John beat him pretty badly."

Yukimura looked concerned. "So our best worker is out of the scene?"

"Just for a few days."

Yukimura scoffed. "You have to be shitting me. It can't be hurt _that _bad. That's a whole two nights worth of money we'll be out of."

Sanada yanked Niou's shirt to reveal the bandages. "It's pretty bad."

Yukimura's eyes narrowed. "...Fine. Just tomorrow, though. Then It's back out on the streets doing It's damn job." He stalked away, muttering angrily under his breath.

Sanada pushed Niou over to the staircase. They moved down them and Sanada spoke rapidly. "Seiichi's already pissed enough as it is. A worker died tonight."

Niou's blood ran cold for the second time that night. "Who?"

"Nobody you know." Sanada assured. "The rest are already here. Just hold tight." He opened the metal door and pushed Niou through before slamming it shut again.

Niou examined the basement, happy when everyone seemed alright. Well, as alright as they could be, anyway. He was greeted by happy smiles and open arms, and for a second, he forgot all about deceiving them.

**Sanada's not that bad. :3 Still bad enough for Niou to hate him, but yeah.**


	10. Kill Me, Please

**You guys get two chapters this week! Whoo! But please please please review both. I'm a review whore. XD I love those things. **

**Please read, review, and enjoy!  
**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis.**

"Nothing?"

"It's the same as that one whor-"

Yagyuu's eyes flashed. "I swear to god, Sasaki, if you were about to call him a whore-"

"Fine!" The technical analyst glared up at the detective. "Fuck, who the hell pissed in your cornflakes? All the other names you had me run turned out the same. All records stop after a certain point in time. Some of them have been missing since January."

"That's six months..." Yagyuu rubbed at his eyes for a moment. "Tell me everything."

Sasaki sighed and clicked a few times. "Let's see... The oldest is the Niou kid. Then some other kid named Fuji Syusuke. He and his younger brother Fuji Yuuta went missing a little less than a year ago. Kikumaru Eiji went missing a few months later. Zaizen Hikaru has a record for drug use. He was reported missing in April. Mukahi Gakuto was reported missing last month, in May. Only two of them have a record, Niou Masaharu and Zaizen Hikaru. The rest of them are clean. Mukahi Gakuto came from a very rich family. It seems they have a private investigator on the case. And- ...Oh. That's some fucking love, right there."

Yagyuu raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Seems like Mukahi Gakuto's boyfriend also has a private investigator on the case."

Yagyuu nodded. "Boyfriend's name?"

"Oshitari Yuushi."

He sat with his back against the wall and Gakuto's head in his lap. Fuji was sitting next to him, an arm tucked protectively around his sleeping brother. Gakuto was having a nightmare, jerking and whimpering. There wasn't much Niou could do for him except be there when he woke up.

"Who do you think Yuushi is?" Fuji asked softly when Gakuto whispered the name again.

"Iunno." Niou shrugged. "Brother? Best friend?"

"Boyfriend?"

"Maybe."

"Does it matter?" Zaizen spat bitterly from across the dungeon-like room. "He ain't ever going to see the kid again anyway."

Eiji frowned at him. "Don't be like that, Hikaru. You have to have hope."

"Fuck hope." Zaizen muttered. "Fuck all of this."

Gakuto suddenly jerked awake with a gasp. Niou immidietly pulled him close when he let out a hushed, "Masaharu?" He held the boy until he stopped shaking and managed to compose himself. "I'm okay." He assured. "I'm fine."

The door flew open and banged against the wall behind it. Yukimura stood there, eyes livid. Niou wasn't sure whether to be surprised to see Yukimura (He never came down there. He always sent Sanada), or be frightened at the degree of anger he was radiating.

"Starr." He snapped out.

Gakuto raised his head cautiously.

"Come here. You're going to do something for me."

Gakuto got to his feet and crossed the room. Yukimura gripped his wrist tightly and dragged him up the stairs, pulling the door shut with a clang.

"I hope he's okay..." Whispered the now-awake Yuuta.

"He'll be fine." Niou assured.

Hours later, Yuuta had fallen back asleep in his brother's arms, Zaizen had lost his bad mood and was writing words in the dust on the concrete floor, and Eiji was talking quietly to Niou about what they were going to do when they got out of there. They did that often. They'd always make huge plans. They talked about making something out of themselves. It gave them a sliver of hope. It helped them make it through the night.

The door creaked open, and they all (minus Yuuta, of course) snapped their heads over to look at it. Yukimura stepped out of the shadows of the staircase and into the dim lights of the basement. Blood splattered the front of his clothes and he was wiping stained hands on a wet rag. He had a satisfied smile on his face that made them shiver.

"Where's Gakuto?" Niou asked suspiciously.

Yukimura raised an eyebrow.

Niou rolled his eyes. "Starr. Where's Starr."

"Oh." His smile widened. "Starr... Well, let's just say that you won't be seeing It again."

A hushed silence fell over the room. After a moment, Eiji choked on a sob. Niou stood up and launched himself at Yukimura, snarling and yelling. "You son-of-a-bitch!"

Yukimura caught Niou by the throat, eyes sharp and smile gone.

"What, so you finally decided to get your hands dirty?" Niou snarled, clawing at the hand that was slowly choking him. "What happened, huh? Something didn't go your way? Found out Mommy didn't love you anymore? Someone run over your fucking cat? Oh, wait, I know. Sanada decided he didn't want to put up with your _god damn bullshit_, so you had to find someone else to take it out on! Why not me, huh? I'm older. I have more experience. I won't complain. What's your fucking problem?"

Yukimura sneered and tightened his hold on Niou's neck. "Starr didn't complain either. He just moaned like the little whore he is. He just begged for more. And I fucking gave it to him."

Niou snarled again. He kicked and scratched until eventually, Yukimura dragged him up the stairs and into an empty room. He tossed Niou on the bed, and before he could move to get up, Yukimura was on top of him, pinning his wrists to the bed. "I'm going to do to you just what I did to Starr." He informed in a hiss, yanking Niou's clothes off. "You're going to be _begging_ for me to kill you when I'm through. You're going to be happy that you're dead." He shoved one of Niou's ankles above his head.

"You're a bastard." Niou hissed, struggling against the vice-like grip Yukimura had on him.

"You're going to regret mouthing off to me."

Throughout the night, Niou could only think of two things while Yukimura was torturing and raping him. The first was that Gakuto had been too young. Too naive. He had a whole life ahead of him. And now he was gone. All because Niou just wouldn't talk to Yagyuu about it. The second was that it was Friday. He'd been one day short. One day late. He wasn't going to get the chance to see Yagyuu again. He wasn't going to get the chance to tell anybody anything.

Yukimura was right. Niou wished he was dead.

**Fffffft. I think this chapter is the most depressing. D: **


	11. His Name Is

**Alright guys. I know I missed last week, but that's because my computer had a virus. D: I'm lucky to even have my files with me now. XD I managed to back them up, so I'm extremely happy. Anyway, I'm gonna give this chapter, the eleventh, to you today, and then on Sunday or Monday, I'll give you another chapter. Then the following Thursday, we'll resume our usual schedule. XD **

**So, yeah. Please read, review, and enjoy!**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis.**

For the tenth time that night, Yagyuu pulled his eyes away from the file in his lap and looked at the hotel room door. Then he looked over at the covered window, then down at his watch before looking back at the file. But he wasn't staring at the paper for long, because soon enough, he was looking back at the door again.

Niou was thirty minutes late. Yagyuu would stay there all night if he had to, but he was beginning to think that the boy wouldn't show. Was he hurt? Working a different part of town? Or maybe he was just with a John who was taking a bit longer than usual. But chances were... Well, Yagyuu didn't to think about that.

His eyes snapped up when the door opened. Relief flooded through him, but it was immediately replaced with panic. "Niou..." He murmured, standing up. He crossed the room to stand in front of the young boy. His eyes were dead. Lifeless. The left one was circled by a dark bruise. He had a busted lip, and there were finger-shaped marks on his neck. The injuries were only a day old, at most. "What happened?"

"He happened." Niou whispered. His voice was just as bland as his eyes. He pushed back the sleeves of his fishnet top to reveal more bruises on his wrists. Then he tugged down the waistband of his leather shorts to show the ones on his hips. And, to top it all off, he pulled the fishnet up off his stomach to show him the bruises on his stomach. "He raped me."

Yagyuu reached out and tucked a lock of loose white hair behind Niou's ear. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Niou walked past him and sat down on the bed. "You didn't do anything."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you." Yagyuu sat down next to him.

Niou was quiet for a long time, but Yagyuu was patient. He waited until Niou looked up. And when he did, his eyes were wet, and tears were falling down his cheeks. "He's dead." He whispered, and he couldn't continue, because his voice caught and he choked on a sob.

Yagyuu wrapped his arms around Niou and held him close. Niou clutched at the fabric of Yagyuu's suit jacket and clung to him, crying.

"H-he killed him." He managed to get out. "H-he killed Gakuto. He came d-downstairs, and was really, really pissed off. H-he made Gakuto g-go with him, a-and hours later, he c-came back, but Gakuto w-wasn't with him. H-he said that Gakuto wouldn't be j-joining us. His shirt w-was stained red a-and oh god, all that blood..." He gasped a few times before he managed to get a handle on himself. "I-I attacked him, and I started y-yelling at him, a-and he dragged me upstairs a-and told me he was going to do to me what he did to G-Gakuto. A-and then- And then he-" Niou dissolved into a mess of tears and incoherent words. Yagyuu could only catch bits and pieces, like, "He was so y-young!" and "Why didn't he k-kill _me_?"

Yagyuu rocked him back and forth, murmuring quiet comforts and rubbing his back. This was his fault. He didn't get the truth out of Niou in time. He didn't push, he didn't pry. He was _too_ patient, and now a boy was dead. He didn't blame Niou. He'd never blame Niou. He blamed himself.

Several long minutes passed before Niou managed to calm down. He gazed up at the detective, and Yagyuu was startled to see that his golden eyes were full of fire and determination.

"If I tell you who he is," Niou whispered, "will you promise that I never, _ever_, have to go back to that place?"

"I swear to god," Yagyuu tucked a lock of hair behind Niou's ear. "You'll never have to go back there. Ever again."

"Good. Because if I have to step foot in that building, I'll kill myself."

Yagyuu waited as Niou took a deep, shaky breath. "His name... His name is Yukimura Seiichi."


	12. We Are All Innocent

**Chapter twelve! Whoo! Hope you guys like it. :D Please read, review, and enjoy!**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis**

"I'm coming with you."

Yagyuu slowly sat down the file and looked over at Niou in concern. "That probably isn't the best idea. We'll be-"

"Don't care." Niou straightened up in the chair he was sitting in. "Those kids in there are practically my family. We've been together through thick and thin. And besides, I want to watch the bastard who murdered Gakuto led away in cuffs. So I'm going."

Yagyuu ignored the hustle and bustle of the squadroom and reached into his desk. He pulled out a file and read it over. It was several minutes later that he finally looked over at Niou and nodded. "Fine. But you're wearing a vest, and you aren't to leave my side. Not for anything. Do you understand me."

Niou nodded once. "Of course."

It was only an hour later that they were standing around a large, Victorian-like house. It was old and falling apart, but it was beautiful in that majestic kind of way. Niou had never actually seen the outside of the house he was kept in. He was always blindfolded when led from the car to the house. And he decided that it'd have a certain charm if it hadn't been the place where he was locked up for a year and a half.

Yagyuu placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing his eyes up to the detective. "This is it."

"We're saving everyone, huh?"

"_You're_ saving everyone."

Niou smiled at this. Yagyuu looked around at the uniformed officers, the SWAT team, and several other detectives. He hesitated, and Niou spoke up.

"Yagyuu. I want you to be the one to cuff the bastard."

Yagyuu blinked down at him in surprise. "But I have to-"

"I'll be fine. There are plenty of officers out here. Go on. Go in there and get the guy you've been chasing after for so long." Niou grinned up at him. "I wanna see you in action."

Ten minutes later, Yagyuu was suited up in a bullet proof vest with his gun in his hand. Niou watched him gesture to the rest of the officers and they stormed the place. There was a lot of banging and shouting. A lot of splintering wood and shattering glass. Niou held his breath. He shifted from one foot to the other. He tugged at the collar of the vest. He licked his dry lips. He dreaded the sound of gunshots, and he hoped to god that he wouldn't hear them. He waited for what seemed like an eternity. Scenarios and images flashed through his mind, none of them good, and he winced every time he heard a loud noise. Then finally, _finally_, the door busted open again and Yagyuu stepped out, pushing an angry, angry Yukimura in front of him.

Yukimura was spitting and yelling, struggling against the cuffs, and when he caught sight of Niou, he started shouting louder. At the look in Niou's eyes, Yagyuu changed directions and led Yukimura past him. And as they went by, Niou smiled. "You're going to make some man very happy in prison. You're going to be someone's bitch."

Yukimura snapped out profanities, and Niou just smiled in satisfaction. When he glanced over at the door again, he watched kids being led out. Some of them were almost seventeen, and they would've been slated for death or reselling within the month. Others couldn't have been older than ten or eleven. Niou felt something swell within him. Happiness. For the first time in a long time, he was _happy_. They were all going back to their families. They'd have a warm place to sleep and some decent meals. Gakuto would never get that, though. And Niou himself was going to be shipped off to foster care. But everyone else... They all made it out.

The moment he saw Zaizen and the others step out, he ran forward until he was in front of them. Fuji's cheeks were streaked with tears, and that was the first time he'd ever seen the boy cry. Fuji wrapped an arm around his brother and smiled weakly at Niou. "Thank you." He whispered. They hugged, wrapping each other up. They were all shaking, they were all crying. For the loss of their friend, and for the thankfulness of finally getting out of that nightmare.

"Niou."

Niou turned his head slightly, but refused to distangle himself from the others. He didn't bother looking at him, but he already knew who it was. He could recognize Yagyuu's voice anywhere.

"Niou, I think you'll want to see this."

Quite reluctantly, Niou turned all the way around just as Yagyuu stepped to the side. Niou's heart stopped, his eyes widened, and the tears came faster than ever. "Gakuto!"

They launched themselves at him. The boy had bruises all over his face and dried blood on his clothes, but he was standing. He was alive. He was _there_.

"Gakuto, Gakuto, oh god, we thought- he told us-"

"I know." Gakuto whispered, obviously ignoring all the pain he had to have been in. "I know what he told you, I know what he implied. But I'm fine, I'm here. He'd locked me up in a different room, and... well, you all know what he did. He told me he was going to keep me there so he could use me when he wanted." Gakuto clung to Niou tightly, happy to be surrounded by all his friends. "How did all this happen...?" He looked around at all the cop cars and uniformed officers.

"It was Masaharu." Yuuta said quietly. "He got us out of here."

Gakuto grinned at him. "I knew you could do it."

Gakuto pulled away from Niou's embrace and spotted something over his shoulder that made his eyes widen. "Yuushi..."

Niou blinked and turned around. Several feet behind him stood a tall, tan-skinned boy with dark hair and dark eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, but there was a timid smile on his face. "Gakuto."

"Yuushi!" Gakuto ran to the boy and crashed into his arms, his body racked with sobs.

Yuushi stroked Gakuto's hair. "Oh Jesus Christ, look how skinny you've gotten. And your face... Oh, man, Gakuto, I'm so so sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you. I never, ever stopped looking for you."

"I know." Gakuto's whisper was muffled. "Detective Yagyuu told me."

Yuushi looked up at Yagyuu and mouthed the words "thank you".

Niou turned back to Yagyuu and smiled. "I'm happy." He informed simply. "I've made a difference. Yeah, some of us used to get into trouble. Hikaru used to get arrested for drug use, and I used to get arrested for petty-thefts. I know there's other kids that came out of there who had records, too. But you know what? None of us deserved this."

Yagyuu reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're right. There was no reason for you to go through what you went through."

"In the end," Niou continued quietly, placing his hand on top of Yagyuu's, "we're _all_ innocent."

Eventually, they were all checked out by EMTs. They were all severely malnourished and dehydrated, and they were all taken to the hospital to get their wounds taken care of. It was a whole four hours later when Niou was getting grateful hugs from Fuji and Yuuta's sister, and Zaizen's parents, and Gakuto's boyfriend and parents, and all of Eiji's siblings and parents. He was even getting handshakes and hugs from people who's parents he didn't know. He was worn out and almost dead on his feet. He was sitting slouched in a chair in the waiting room. All in the matter of hours, he saved the lives of over one hundred kids and reunited them with their families. They all had someone to go home to. And although several of them (Gakuto included) had to be kept in the hospital for observation for a while, they were all happy.

A cup of hot coffee was suddenly held in front of his face. He looked up at Yagyuu and took the cup gratefully. "Thanks," he murmured.

"I have to go talk to my captain," Yagyuu gestured to a stern looking man with brown hair and glasses. "It won't take long. Promise."

Niou smiled and nodded. He sipped carefully on the coffee, unable to take big gulps of it like he wanted to. It was warm, and it felt good sliding down his throat. And although he was happy with the days events, now that everything was over and the adrenaline rush was gone, he could only think about one thing. What was going to happen to _him_? His mother was in jail, he had no clue who his father was, his older sister had left as soon as she turned eighteen and his younger brother was staying with _his_ father. Nobody wanted him. He had no where to go. And it wasn't like he was going to be adopted. A fifteen year old boy with a rap sheet? One who'd recently been pulled out of a human-trafficking ring, at that. He'd be such a problem child in the eyes of anyone who saw his records. He got pulled out of a nightmare just to be shoved back into one.

"Niou? Are you ready?"

Niou looked up blankly. "For what?"

"Well, it took a lot of bargaining, but I talked my captain into letting you come home with me."

Niou nodded. "Until you find me a permanent place to stay?"

"No." Yagyuu broke out into a rare grin. "Forever."

**I'm beginning to think that I should've left Gakuto dead. :| What do you guys think? I honestly didn't have the heart to do so. I would've cried. Well, I would've cried harder than I already have. XD**


	13. Fresh Start

**Lol, I almost forgot about this. I was just like, "OH HEY. IT'S THURSDAY, ISN'T IT?" So yeah. XD Here's the next chapter.**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy!**

The hot water made all his aches and pains melt away. He felt clean and refreshed. It'd been much too long since he had a proper shower in water that wasn't freezing. He was reluctant, really. He didn't want to get out. But the hot water was bound to run out some time, and he obviously couldn't stay in there forever. With a quiet sigh, he turned around and shut off the water. He climbed out of the shower and grabbed the towel off of the counter. He dried his hair thoroughly and then used it to wipe the steam off of the mirror. He looked at his appearance for the first time in years. Although he was clean, he still looked terrible. He had dark circles under his eyes, not to mention the bruise around the left one. He had a busted lip and bruises on his neck. He had cuts and scars on his shoulder blades and chest. More decorated his stomach, but he couldn't see those in the mirror. He shook his head and turned around. He didn't want to look at that. It was unnerving. He spotted some clothes folded on the toilet seat. He quickly slipped into them. They were a little big for him, no thanks to his way-below average weight and the fact that they were Yagyuu's, and Yagyuu was ten years older and at least a foot taller.

He stepped out of the bathroom, flicking off the light behind him. He followed the scent of food through the master bedroom, down the hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Yagyuu stood in front of the stove, tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He glanced over at Niou and smiled. "Dinner will be ready shortly. Then you and I are going to talk."

Niou nodded and padded onto the cold tile floor. He peered into the pan and smiled. "It looks good."

"It _is_ good." Yagyuu replied, turning the stove off. "Now, listen. You can't eat a lot tonight, and you can't eat very fast. Since you're malnourished, you have to take it easy, or-"

"Or I'll throw it all up. Yeah, I know." Niou followed Yagyuu to the table and sat down in front of a plate. He pushed the food around a little bit before taking small bites. Yagyuu was right. It _was_ good. He actually had to restrain himself from shoveling it into his mouth. He drank plenty of water, because he was dehydrated as well.

Half an hour later, the table was cleared of the food and they were sitting across from each other again.

"I want you," Yagyuu said eventually, "to tell me everything."

Niou frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to tell me absolutely everything that happened, starting from the day your mother sold you."

Niou blinked. He nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "Alright..." He licked his lips. "It was my fourteenth birthday. December fourth. I had stayed out late, partying with friends and such. Getting into trouble, you know. The usual. I got home and Mom was home. It was a surprise. She was usually staying with her latest husband. I was a real bitch to her, come to think of it. I was a real bitch before all this went down. I sneered at her and asked her what her slut ass was doing home. To my annoyance, she was civil. She told me there was someone she wanted me to meet. She introduced me to some chick. She told me I was going away. I said, 'over my dead body'. She told me that could've been easily done, but this way, she got money out of it. They ended up having to chloroform me, because I refused to go willingly. When I woke up, I was in the back of some car. And I was pissed. I kicked and thrashed, but I was tied up."

His voice broke on the last word, and Yagyuu reached out and put a comforting hand over his. "Go on."

Niou nodded again. "It seemed like hours before we finally stopped. I was blind-folded, then led into some house. There, Yukimura introduced himself. Sanada introduced himself, too." He blinked suddenly and looked up at Yagyuu. "You should make a phone call or something. Make sure they're not too hard on Sanada. He was going to help me out, had I trusted him."

Yagyuu looked taken aback. "Really?"

"Yeah. He was good to us when Yukimura wasn't around. He just got caught up in the wrong things by sticking by his childhood friend. He's a pretty good guy, I guess. Better than Yukimura, anyway."

Yagyuu nodded. "Alright. I'll make sure that they take that into consideration while charging him. Now go ahead and continue."

"I was immediately stripped from my clothes and put into some other ragged clothes. Then I was led to a hallway and taken down a set of stairs. Then I was put in a cold, basement-like room. I was the only one there. And for a while, it remained that way. Then Syusuke and Yuuta were put into that room, too. One by one, the others joined us. We looked out for each other. Syusuke was really bad at keeping his mouth shut. Out of all of us, he got hit the most. Every night, they'd take us out and drop us off in different parts of town. At a certain time, we'd have to be at a certain place to be picked up again. If we were late, we were punished. We got punished for a lot of things. For being late, for back-talking, for not earning enough money... And those are just the bare basics. I was down there for a year and a half. Gakuto was down there for the least amount a time. Only about a month. Being down there changed all of us. We've matured in ways that we never thought possible. I've had more sex with guys than most forty year olds. Long nights in hotel rooms, quickies in the alleyways, blowjobs in the car..." His eyes slipped closed and he lowered his head. "I've been through more than anyone my age should have to go through."

"You've been through more than _anybody_ should have to go through."

Niou clenched his fist and Yagyuu squeezed it in response. "Thank you," he said softly, "for telling me all this. I know it was difficult. Now I think it's time for bed. Until I can get the study cleaned out, you'll have to sleep on the couch."

"That's fine," Niou said quickly.

"And once you've gotten a semi-normal diet back, and your health is better, I'll enroll you in school."

Niou nodded slowly. "School... I missed a whole year and a half of it."

"You'll be in a year behind everyone else your age, but you're bright. You'll get up there with the rest of them."

Niou nodded again, but this time it was determined. "I'll make something of myself."

Yagyuu smiled. "I know you will."

A few minutes later, Niou was cuddled up on the couch, underneath a warm blanket. Yagyuu had left the TV on for him to watch. It was weird. It all felt like a dream. Like was going to wake up at any moment, and be in that dank room, with his head in Fuji's lap, shivering because of how cold it was. None of this seemed _real_. It felt _unreal_, sleeping on something soft. It felt _fake_, staring at the TV screen, watching kick-ass, old school Pokemon.

He let his eyes slip shut as Pikachu foiled Team Rocket's plan again. This _was_ real.

This was his fresh start.

**I already have another chapter written out (mostly to wrap a few things up, but it's not really necessary), but I'm sorely tempted to just end it here. ;-;**


	14. Normality

**Here's the last chapter guys! I hope you like this. :D **

**Please read, review, and enjoy!**

**I do not own Prince of Tennis. **

"Is that due _today_?"

Niou looked up from the long, complicated math problems in front of him. "No. Just extra stuff that I wrote down myself."

Yagyuu nodded and slid a plate across the top of the bar before turning back around to the stove. "Should've known," he chuckled.

Niou had been living with the detective for three months. And it didn't seem like life could get any sweeter. His appetite was semi-normal. He still ate less than most, but he hate more than he once did. All of his injuries had healed and scarred over. He usually didn't get questioned about them, because they were mostly hidden under his school uniform, except for the very few on his wrists, arms, and neck. He'd been enrolled into school two months ago, and he _loved_ it. He loved learning, and he loved the way he excelled in almost everything he did. He was on his way to getting caught up to other kids his age. The only part of his past that stuck with him was the fact that he was only able to sleep for about two or three hours at a time. He'd eventually told Yagyuu about it, and Yagyuu said something about how if it continued, they'd get a doctor's appointment. Then there were the nightmares. They didn't happen every night, but they happened often enough. He'd wake up, sometimes _screaming_, before he realized he was safe and sound, tucked away in his room.

Yes, his room. Yagyuu had gotten around to cleaning out the study. He had his own room, which he opted to decorate in shades of blue and white. Unlike the black of his room back before he was sold, and unlike the dank gray of the basement he was kept in. His taste in music had changed, too. The only thing he kept from his past, as a matter of fact, was his hair. He still bleached it, and he still kept it long. He liked it that way.

Niou ate his breakfast as he worked out the difficult math problem. When he looked up again, Yagyuu was clipping his gun holster and badge to his belt.

Yagyuu met his eyes and raised a single brow. "Ready to go?"

Niou nodded and picked up his bag from beside him, hopping down from the barstool. "Yup!"

In the matter of three months, Yagyuu had been given several awards, had his picture in the paper several times, got promoted _twice_, and started single-handedly raising a teenage boy with a rap sheet and a terrible, terrible past. He thought that was pretty good for being a twenty-two year-old detective just nine months out of the academy.

"Are you going to the center this afternoon?" Yagyuu asked once they were driving.

"Probably." Niou replied, tearing his gaze from the view outside to look at Yagyuu. "If I don't, I'll call you."

"You'll be walking?"

"Yeah. It's only a few blocks away."

"Well, be careful."

Niou just smirked. "I always am."

Just a few weeks after Niou went to live with Yagyuu, he started volunteering at a center. A center who counseled kids who'd been physically and sexually abused, raped, or who'd been in the same situation Niou had. Sometimes, he'd get the rare treat of Fuji or one of his other old friends stopping by. Gakuto volunteered there as well. They all certainly hadn't lost contact.

A few minutes later, Niou reached out and touched Yagyuu's arm. "Hey, wait! Stop!"

Yagyuu slowed down. "What?"

"I know that kid." Niou pointed out the window at a pink haired boy walking down the sidewalk snapping bubblegum. "Marui Bunta. He's like, one of my close friends or whatever."

Yagyuu came to a complete stop and turned to look at Niou. "_Just _a close friend?"

Niou blinked, then broke out into a grin. "Listen at you, getting all protective and fatherly on me. I'm so proud."

Yagyuu rolled his eyes. "I am your father, technically speaking."

"Yeah, yeah." Niou threw open the door and got out. "Have a good day at work."

Yagyuu stared as the door shut, then watched Niou call to the boy. Marui turned around and smiled so his teeth showed, then paused to wait for Niou to catch up. Then he relaxed into a smile and drove off towards the office. He was happy that Niou was fitting in. The boy had been through too much, and deserved every ounce of normality he could get.

**The end! Happy ending, right? I'm hope you enjoyed this. :3**

**Thanks so much, you guys, for all of your support! **

**xoxo**

**Raye_nbow**


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